The Adjustment
by crochetaway
Summary: Finding out she was an Alpha was an adjustment for Hermione Granger. Draco Malfoy presenting as an Omega was a disaster. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Welcome to my newest story! This is just a short one only 4 chapters. I've been chewing over it since the summer and decided it's time to get it up and out of my head for good. I'll be posting a chapter a week until it's complete. **

**If you haven't heard, I'll be having a baby in 2020, which means my writing will be slowing down. But don't worry! I'm still working on lots and lots of projects, but I'm holding off on posting them until they are complete. **

**Warnings for this story are A/B/O dynamics, dubious consent, and the M rating is for language and sexual content. **

**Monster, mega thanks to Vino Amore for being Alpha/Beta extraordinaire on this. She's put in soo much time and it was soo necessary. I think we tripled the word count after she started looking at this! So thank you, thank you Vino!**

**If you liked this (or hated it) let me know about it in a review! Find me on Tumblr at crochetawayhpff.**

* * *

**The Adjustment: Chapter 1**

* * *

_Draco_

Draco Malfoy ran a shaking hand through his hair as he paced the length of his bedroom. His bare feet sinking into the padding of the priceless Persian rug. His heart beat wildly as he subconsciously rubbed a hand across the back of his neck in a futile attempt to eradicate the reason for his shame. He had always considered himself a lucky person—being born into an attractive, wealthy, pure-blood family, his breeding was of the highest pedigree. _Both_ of his parents were Alphas.

Stopping his movement to study his reflection in the full-length mirror, his stomach twisted in knots as he turned to study the mark on the back of his neck. Squeezing his eyes shut and letting out a grunt of frustration, he took deep breaths in an attempt to calm his nerves. An Omega mark was the very last thing he would've expected for himself.

His mind went in circles as he recalled the events of the last decade of his life. He must have done _something_ to cause this. And if he had, perhaps there was something he could do to reverse it.

Draco looked through the book he'd purloined from his family's library once again. He couldn't be the only anomaly in a thousand years of family history. Flipping back to the front of the book, Draco peered at the cramped handwriting.

_Armand Malfoy b. 1000 A.D. Alpha m. Margot Brunelle (Alpha) in 1037_

The next several lines were similar and Draco flipped forward a few hundred years.

_Nicholas Malfoy b. 1303 A.D. Alpha m. Esmae Watson (Beta) in 1347_

Draco trailed his finger down the list, all Alphas, every single Malfoy born into the family. He flipped forward a few more centuries.

_Lucius Malfoy b. 1537 A.D. Alpha m. Eleanor Leventhorpe (Alpha) in 1574_

Not even Malfoy _wives_ were Omegas.

A few more centuries forward and Draco found the first Omega listed in the book.

_Septimus Malfoy b. 1722 A.D. Alpha m. Ester Crawley (Omega) in 1758_

Of course, it was a wife. None of their children were listed as Omegas, they were almost exclusively Alphas with a Beta thrown in here and there. He shoved the book from him in disgust.

His eyes wandered to the rest of the books on his nightstand. All from his family library and not one of them helpful. Their content only solidified his shame. Each book detailed an account of every Malfoy family member, not a single Malfoy born into the family presented as an Omega. Draco winced at the thought of what his parents would say when they discovered his status. He groaned and picked up the books, intent on seeing if the library held _anything_ about Omegas. Perhaps Ester Crawley had left a diary behind.

"Draco, darling." Draco cringed at the sound of his mother's voice calling his name. He had successfully evaded her for a week. His palms began glistening with moisture as the stack of books suddenly felt like a weight in his arms. Turning to face his mother she approached as he did his best to keep his stoic facade.

"I feel as though my only son has been avoiding me all week." Crossing her arms and arching her brow, she directed her gaze to the ancient literature in his hands. "Have you presented yet?"

Knowing his Omega mark stood out against his porcelain complexion, Draco positioned himself so the back of his neck was against the wall.

"Um, not quite," he hedged.

"What do you mean, not quite?" Narrowing her eyes and taking a step closer.

Draco sighed, acting annoyed but kept his back firmly to the wall. "Just, not quite," shifting the books to his other arm, he attempted to cut the encounter short. "I'm in the middle of something, can we talk about this later?"

Narcissa stood unmoving. "You have either presented or you have not, Draco Lucius Malfoy. There is no in between! Did the Alpha mark show up on your wrist?" She reached for his hand, but Draco pulled back from her, holding the books close to his chest.

"What are you hiding?" Stepping closer she backed him into the wall and pried his left hand away from the books, pushing down the sleeve of his arm. There was no mark on his wrist. "You are left-handed, are you not?" She grabbed his right hand, causing Draco to drop the books he'd been holding. There was no mark there either.

"You must be a Beta." Flicking her wand at the sleeves of Draco's robe and shirt. The fabric unraveled at the shoulder seams revealing bare arms where a Beta mark would have been.

Narcissa stilled as her eyes widened with horror "Oh, Salazar! Please, tell me it is not true. " Draco squared his shoulders and met his mother's gaze.

He fought his instinct to recoil when he recognized the glint in his mother's eyes as she summoned her Alpha strength. Narcissa forcefully turned him around and pulled down the collar of his shirt. His heart sank and shame consumed him when she gasped and released him instantly.

"This cannot be true. You are a Malfoy, how did this happen?" Draco didn't know if she was asking him or herself. He righted himself, pressing his back into the wall as he met her gaze once more. No matter his status he was still a Malfoy and determined to maintain what shred of dignity he had left.

"I don't know what happened, _Mother_. I've been trying to figure it out, but we don't have many resources on the topic."

Draco cautiously stepped towards her when he witnessed the color drain from her face. "What am I going to tell your father?"

He extended his hand to help steady his mother thinking she was about to faint. She seemed to regain her composure when she noticed his movements. Her eyes darted down to where his hand now met her arm and quickly shook it free from his grasp. Stabbing pain pierced through his heart at the cold rejection of the only person in his life to ever show him a remote display of love and affection. Narcissa must have seen the hurt cross his face when she looked down pretending to iron out nonexistent wrinkles in her robes.

"Well, _you_ will just have to tell your father this evening." Nodding sharply as if that decided everything.

"I'm not telling him anything. He'll murder me. Or worse, disown me. And he'll either make you have another child or divorce you so he can have a child with someone else!"

"Nonsense, Lucius cannot divorce me. It is against the betrothal agreement. Besides, I am certainly beyond my childbearing years, so he will just have to come to terms with it. I am sure we can find a good pureblood Beta who will have you as a husband." Averting her gaze, Narcissa gave a quick nod before she turned and swept down the hall.

Closing his eyes and clenching his fists, Draco listened for the sound of her spiked heels against the marble floors to fade to silence. He forced himself to breathe as anger, shame, rejection, and betrayal fought for dominance over his emotions. Opening his eyes once more, he groaned and flicked his wand, repairing his sleeves and levitating the fallen books into a stack.

* * *

Later that evening, he slammed closed the leather cover of the last book, he paced and his eyes snapped to the clock over the fireplace. His heart hammered harder with each passing second. Each tick echoed like a blast of magic coursing through his veins. His hands started to tremble at the thought of his father's reaction. Recalling his mother's cold rejection of him just hours ago, he didn't want to face his father's disgust, anger, or worse, disappointment. He jumped as his thoughts were interrupted by a sharp crack of apparition. His house-elf had arrived and informed him it was time.

Narrowing his eyes at the house-elf, Draco faked a dart left, and when the house-elf took the bait, he sprinted toward the right and his private bathroom. House-elves were forbidden from Apparating in and out of the bathrooms for privacy's sake. He breathed heavily, trying to calm himself. When twenty minutes had passed, Draco decided that the coast had to be clear. He was certain that his house-elf wouldn't have waited that long for him.

"Got you," Nibbly muttered under her breath as she snagged Draco's wrist the moment he stepped out of the bathroom. He didn't even have time to catch his breath before Nibbly Apparated them away without warning.

Draco fell hard onto his knees in the dining room, coughing as air flooded his lungs suddenly. The Alpha pheromones put out by his father were overwhelming and he couldn't have risen to his feet if he tried.

"So, it _is_ true," Lucius drawled, using his cane to push the back of Draco's shirt down. The disgust was heavy in his voice and Draco swatted the cane away and clasped a hand on the back of his neck to cover his Omega mark, before falling back onto his bum, awkwardly crab-walking away from Lucius. His father stood from his chair, towering over him.

"What am I to do with an Omega for a son?" he spat.

"There is no proof this is my fault," Draco argued.

"Of course, it is _your_ fault," Lucius hissed. "I am an Alpha. Your mother is an Alpha. Malfoys are always Alphas. There have only been a handful of _Betas_ in the history of this family. And not a single Omega was ever _born_ into the family."

Lucius turned from him and addressed Narcissa. "Are you certain he is mine?"

Draco clenched his jaw and gathered what little courage he could scrape together and clambered to stand. He straightened his shoulders, but still, his father towered over him.

Narcissa scoffed. "Obviously he is yours, Lucius. He looks _just_ like a bloody Malfoy. The only Black he has in him is his eyes."

Lucius sighed heavily and continued as though Draco weren't in the room. "I have been looking for pureblood Alphas for him, but now we will have to find a _Beta_."

"An Alpha would not be the end of the—"

"Of course it would, Narcissa! She would rule him by the fucking balls! No, it is a Beta and that is final. Find out who has presented as such and we will start going through the options." Turning to Draco, his face contorted with a sneer. "As for you, I am sickened by your presence."

The words cut Draco right at his very core. He fought with all his might to hold back the tears that threatened to form. He couldn't have been more relieved when his father turned to leave. All Draco wanted was to be alone.

* * *

Draco spent the next four weeks between the privacy of his room and the library, keeping to himself. He was never summoned for dinner after his Omega mark was revealed, and neither his father or mother sought him out for anything. It felt as though they were avoiding him as much as he was avoiding them. Neither said goodbye when he left for school and Draco found himself alone for the first time without his mother to see him off. He'd succeeded in growing his hair long. It hung down to his shoulders, and he wore it slightly slicked back, to keep it from his face. Between it and the higher collar he'd ordered for his school robes, his mark was covered.

The only problem was he had no proper training. Omegas were supposed to learn how to avoid setting off an Alpha, as well as how to please an Alpha. He knew some things, such as how Alphas gave off pheromones which could be impossible for Omegas to resist, especially if the Alphas weren't trained well. He hoped the Hogwarts library would have additional information. But if it didn't, Draco had decided perhaps he'd speak with Madam Pomfrey. He loathed the thought of seeking her out, but he didn't think he would be able to navigate the entire school year without adequate knowledge on being an Omega.

He stood on the train platform, waiting for the doors to open so he could load his trunk and secure a cabin. He'd decided to arrive as early as possible, and hopefully, avoid all of the newly presented Alphas that were sure to be present in his yearmates. A few other people trickled onto the platform and finally, the doors to the train opened. Levitating his trunk behind him, Draco hurried on securing his usual compartment in the last car of the train. He pulled a book out to read while he waited for his friends to join him. He still had no idea how he was going to navigate this year without telling his friends his shameful secret. He'd have to keep long-sleeves on at all times, or it would be quite telling he wasn't an Alpha.

The only shining light was his appointment to Head Boy. It meant he wouldn't be sharing a dormitory with the rest of his friends in Slytherin, rather he would be on the third floor, the same corridor where the Headmasters office was located. Since Granger was selected as Head Girl, Draco could breathe a sigh of relief _she_ wouldn't be an Alpha. Muggleborns hardly ever presented as Alphas and from what Draco knew of her, she was Beta material through and through. At least he wouldn't have to deal with Alpha pheromones in the place he would be spending the most time. If she were an Omega, maybe Draco could stealthily read a few of her books and learn a thing or two. He was almost hoping she would be an Omega with him.

Head Boy was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing due to the living situation, and a curse because it meant much more work and more contact with the student body. Knowing full well it would only be a matter of time before he did something to embarrass himself.

The crowd started to board the train and Draco knew the moment the first Alpha boarded. Something in the air just _shifted_ and he had the overwhelming desire to search out whoever it was, to offer himself up to that person in whatever capacity they needed but resisted the impulse. Balling his right hand into a tight fist, he fought against his natural urges. As more Alphas boarded the train the compulsions dulled a little and he realized he wasn't called to anyone specifically, much to his relief. However, the Alpha pheromones were overwhelming his senses.

"Draco!" Theo Nott threw open the door to Draco's cabin. His face was a wide grin and Draco knew why. Theo had probably never thought he'd present as an Alpha, he was clearly pleased as punch by the prospect. He'd rolled his sleeves up to his elbows so that the letter A that was prominently showing on the inside of his wrist was seen by all.

"Theo," Draco nodded tightly, trying to breathe through his mouth.

"Just going to put my trunk here. I saw Daphne and Astoria struggling with their trunks, I'll be back in a bit."

Draco nodded and breathed a sigh of relief when Theo left. There was no way he was going to be able to survive the six-hour trip to Hogwarts with Theo in the same cabin.

The moment Theo was back, Draco made his apologies and found the bathroom at the front of the car. He splashed some water on his face and took a couple of deep breaths. He needed to keep his composure in front of his friends.

Waltzing back into the compartment, Draco wrinkled his nose. Daphne and Astoria were already there, flipping through a magazine. There wasn't an Alpha mark on Daphne's wrist, nor did she have the pinched look that he was sure an Omega would have in Theo's overwhelming presence. Clearly, Theo hadn't trained too hard to keep his pheromone production down, so she must be a Beta. And therefore immune to the Alpha and Omega pheromones. Astoria was still too young to present.

"You know, I think I'm going to go see if I can find Blaise," Draco muttered and shut the compartment door swiftly. He leaned against the wall for a moment trying to get a respite from the stench of too many Alphas too close together. He needed to find a compartment without an Alpha anywhere in the vicinity.

* * *

_Hermione_

The first week of summer holidays after Hermione Granger's sixth year was the most shocking week of her life. More shocking than when Harry had defeated Voldemort back in fourth year even. Because, Hermione Granger, Muggleborn, presented as an Alpha. It was almost unheard of for Muggleborns to be anything other than Betas. But an Alpha? Arthur Weasley had hemmed and hawed, unsure if there had ever been another Muggleborn Alpha in history.

Of course, Harry was an Alpha too. _That_ at least hadn't been a shock. But when Ron showed everyone his Omega mark, the Weasley's knew something had to be done. Two new Alphas were one thing, but two untrained Alphas in close quarters with a brand new Omega was a recipe for disaster. And George was an Omega too, having presented last year. Granted, he didn't live at home, but with Fred being an Alpha, he was at the Burrow more often than he was at his apartment in Diagon Alley. Molly wasn't having any of it, and she sent Hermione and Harry to live with Bill and Fleur for a few weeks.

Bill was an Alpha too, and Fleur an Omega, which was rare enough. Hermione had been fascinated with the Alpha/Beta/Omega biology since she was introduced to it in first year at Hogwarts because it didn't affect Muggles. Or rather, Muggles could all be considered Betas even though they didn't display a mark like those with magic. But a lot of wizarding biology had been charmed to make dealing with newly presented teenagers easier. All wizards were marked automatically when they presented. A complicated bit of magic that had been going on for the last three hundred years or so. Added to that, was the delay in pushing everyone who attended Hogwarts to present between sixth and seventh year, rather than at their seventeenth birthday.

When the Alpha urges began to kick in for Hermione, it made sense why Hogwarts and the Ministry did _not_ want to deal with teenagers presenting while at school. She felt like she wanted to fuck everyone in sight, even Arthur Weasley was looking sort of attractive these days. When the cloud of Alpha hormones wasn't soaking her brain, she at least had the decency to feel sick about the thoughts she'd been having about Arthur. It was worse when she was confined to Shell Cottage with Bill, Fleur, and Harry. Harry was like a brother to her, but when those sweet hormones hit her brain, she could definitely see how the girls found him attractive. Bill had quite a bit on his hands between the two of them and had ended up taking a few days off of work, just to teach them to control themselves long enough that they wouldn't fuck each other raw while he was at work.

It worked, sort of. Hermione stopped wanting to fuck Harry raw and set her sights on the only Omega in the house. Fleur was very pretty, after all. And while Hermione hadn't really been attracted to women before, now she found herself imagining what Fleur looked like as she writhed around on a bed.

Hermione shook her head free of the lewd thoughts in an attempt to clear her mind. Fleur had been very kind, allowing her and Harry to stay with them for the summer; she shouldn't be repaying such kindness by fantasizing about her. Their second week at Shell Cottage, Bill finally began filling them in on the ways they needed to control their hormones to protect the Omega's in their lives.

"Omegas are weaker than Alphas," Bill said.

"Bill!" Fleur shouted, affronted, her accent drawing out the vowel to almost comical lengths. "We're not weaker, just different."

"Fine, different." Bill rolled his eyes and sent a wink at Hermione. "Still, it's up to the Alphas to control their hormones. Although, Omegas also have hormones that set Alphas off. It's a bit of a symbiotic relationship. The more hormones you feel from an Omega, the more likely you'll be sexually compatible."

"It is not _true love_," Fleur said with a laugh. "That's what they used to say when an Alpha and Omega matched." She shook her head. "But it is simply not true. It just creates a more exciting time in the bedroom, eh?"

Hermione snorted at the look Bill was giving Fleur.

"Tell them about the marks," Fleur prompted.

"Right," Bill shook his head, focussing back on Harry and Hermione. "Omega marks are very delicate. An Alpha touching an Omega mark will instantly put the Omega into a drug-like state."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Here, I'll show you," Bill said. "May I?" he asked Fleur. She nodded.

Bill placed his hand on the back of Fleur's neck and immediately it seemed as if every bone in Fleur's body stopped holding her up. She went limp, and lolled her head on Bill's shoulder, staring up at him with a slightly goofy smile on her face.

"Hello," she said softly.

"Hi," Bill replied. Something in his gaze must have set Fleur off because the next moment she was in his lap and grinding on him.

Hermione coughed and looked away, but she could see that Harry was still staring at the couple, so she smacked his arm.

"Er, Bill?" Harry asked, trying to interrupt them. Bill flapped his hands at them and that was the point Hermione decided to get up and leave the room. She grabbed Harry by the collar and pulled him out with her.

It was a few hours later when Bill and Fleur finally emerged from the sitting room. Hermione was in the middle of making dinner for them all, while Harry set the table.

"Sorry about that," Bill said, not looking the least bit sorry. "But that's what happens when you touch an Omega's mark. Which means it's a pretty big violation to do it to an Omega without their permission."

"Right," Hermione said with a nod and a tight smile.

It wasn't that Bill and Fleur were bad teachers, but well, Hermione left Shell Cottage at the end of their three weeks there, not feeling like she knew much about anything. She sort of knew to keep herself calm, so her pheromones wouldn't start pumping, making any Omegas in the vicinity crazy and driving herself half insane as well. But it was harder than it seemed when just discussing it. Every time they had tried practicing it… well, Fleur and Bill went off for some _alone_ time.

No, the bigger issue was when they returned to the Burrow for the second half of their summer. Omegas were rare. Even the Weasleys hadn't had an Omega in their family, other than George, in several generations. Alphas were rather common for the Weasleys, actually.

"Hermione," Ron breathed the moment she walked through the front door. He had that same look on his face he had gotten back in sixth year when Romilda Vane had dosed him with a love potion.

"Er, hi Ron," Hermione offered, giving him a tight smile.

Hermione returned to Shell Cottage the following day after having evicted Ron from her room three times overnight.

* * *

She spent the rest of the summer, reading on the beach, and attempting to stay out of Bill and Fleur's ridiculously, disgusting lovey-dovey way. It only partially worked.

When it was time to go back to Hogwarts, Hermione was relieved. She'd been given Head Girl, which meant she wouldn't have to share a common room with Ron. The downside was that Malfoy was offered Head Boy. At least she knew he wouldn't be an Omega. At worst, he'd be an Alpha, but Hermione had always kind of pegged him as a Beta.

"Please, 'Mione?" Ron asked, that same love-sick look in his eyes as he hovered about the door to the compartment she was sitting in.

"No, Ron," Hermione said firmly. "I need to not be around you. You don't even bother trying to control yourself!"

"Come on, mate," Harry said, slinging his arm around Ron's shoulders. "Let's find somewhere else to sit."

Hermione mouthed her thanks to Harry who offered her a wink and led Ron away.

"What's it like, being an Alpha?" Luna asked dreamily.

"Stressful," Hermione grumbled. "I feel like I can't control anything about myself, but not having control leads to _that_," she waved her hand vaguely at the door to the compartment that Ron had recently vacated, "and nobody seems to know anything about learning _how_ to control yourself."

"Well, Alphas aren't that common," Ginny said with a shrug.

"More common than Omegas," Hermione retorted.

"Yet Betas rule the world," Luna giggled.

Hermione laughed and turned to her book. At least neither Ginny or Luna had presented yet.

Several hours later, the Welcome Feast was over and Hermione was on her way to the Head Girl dormitory.

The closer she got to the dormitory, the harder it was for her to control her Alpha pheromones. Her hormones were running crazy, the way they did when there was an Omega nearby. She could practically smell him, _delicious_, and quickly found herself almost running down the hallway in search of him. Hermione pulled up sharply in front of the Head dormitory. Whoever the Omega was, he was clearly poorly trained, or if not, then someone Hermione was particularly sensitive to; Hermione wasn't even sure how she knew that the Omega was a _him_, but deep down in her bones, she knew she wasn't wrong.

The only people down this corridor would be Dumbledore or Malfoy. Dumbledore wasn't an Omega, or at least she didn't think so. Besides, he was too old, just the thought of Hermione getting aroused by Dumbledore's Omega pheromones made her want to heave.

Unless…

Hermione whispered the password to the portrait guarding the Heads dormitory and was almost bowled over by the scent of Omega.

_Malfoy was an Omega_.

The thought alone was almost enough to make her giggle. A brief look around the common room told Hermione that Malfoy wasn't present. The common room was smaller than the Gryffindor common room, two sofas, a couple of desks and in the back corner, a small kitchenette. There were two doors on either side of the common room and Hermione walked to the door emanating the delicious smell of Omega.

Her hand was raised to knock on the door before her logical mind was able to wrestle her away from her hormone-laden one. Hermione hurried across the space to her own room and slammed the door shut behind her. Then she placed a complicated locking spell on it. One she knew she'd have a hard time breaking if she woke up in the middle of the night.

She was going to need to get a much better grip on being an Alpha if she was going to have to spend all year living with Malfoy.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: A huge thank you to all my readers and reviewers! I cannot believe how many reviews the first chapter has gotten! You've definitely blown me away with your love. Thank you soo much!**

**I completely forgot to thank the very talented Maloreiy for her insights on chapter 1. She really gave me some good thoughts to chew on and this story wouldn't be what it is without her help. So thank you Maloreiy!**

**And I'd be nowhere with this story without the delightful VinoAmore for being Alpha/Beta extraordinaire on this. She stayed up late TONIGHT (!) to help me get this chapter in tip-top shape for you all!**

**If you liked this (or hated it) let me know about it in a review! Find me on Tumblr at crochetawayhpff.**

* * *

**The Adjustment: Chapter 2**

* * *

_Draco_

Draco woke with a start and a throbbing cock. He reached a hand into his pants, gripping himself tightly. Something smelled utterly divine and his eyelids fluttered as he started a slow stroke. This was definitely the hardest he had ever been. He was quite sure of that.

But Salazar, that scent made it impossible to think. The light streaming in through the curtains cast a soft golden glow around his room, as memories of the previous night slowly filtered through his mind. Smelling Granger the moment she entered the third-floor hallway had him rushing to his bedroom. Unwilling to face her once he realized she wasn't a Beta as he previously assumed.

Granger was an Alpha. It both disgusted and exhilarated him. Especially if he woke up like this.

_Well fuck_. He stroked a firm hand up his cock, spreading the bead of moisture he found there down his shaft. He had only spotted Granger briefly at the Welcome Feast, but he could certainly imagine it was her stroking him so firmly. Perhaps wrapping her lips around him and sucking.

Draco arched his back as the vision of Granger on her knees before him fully formed behind his eyes. Her tongue slipping over his cock in time with his hand had him panting. He imagined her opening her mouth as she stared at him with her big brown eyes and he fed his cock to her slowly. It was with that image in his mind that he came with a low growl.

Disgusted with himself, Draco reached for his wand and Scourgified the entire mess away as a flash of anger surged through him. _He_ should have been the Alpha and she the lowly Omega. It was perplexing how a Muggle-born presented as an Alpha in the first place. He was almost positive he'd read somewhere Muggle-borns were almost always Beta's. It figured that Granger wasn't.

He recalled the moment she entered the common room the night before. Draco stood on the other side of his bedroom door listening to her movements, hating himself for it. But couldn't seem to stop the irrational desire to be close to her, instinct warred within him. If he wasn't careful, he knew he would find himself throwing his door open and dropping to his knees before her. Draco clenched his fists hard, biting his cheeks to keep himself from opening the door. He waited with bated breath as she grew closer. Her footsteps stopped just outside of his door and he was sure she was going to knock. Both relief and disappointment battled for dominance within him as he heard her steps grow distant. He finally released a breath with the sound of her door closing. While the last thing he wanted was to be confronted with the wall of pheromones that Granger was emitting, he also couldn't help wanting to bask in those hormones. They felt entirely too good.

Releasing a grunt of frustration, Draco rolled out of bed with a heavy feeling in his stomach. Somehow he knew that he wasn't going to last a week living with Granger. He could see it now, him on his knees begging her to take him and put him out of his misery. All because he couldn't figure out a way to 'turn off' his Omega hormones and tune out Granger's Alpha ones.

Another flash of anger burst through him. Why couldn't _she_ control _herself_? It was an unfair thought, especially considering that Draco wasn't any better at it, but he wasn't feeling particularly charitable, despite his recent wank session. From the moment he presented as an Omega, he knew being at Hogwarts would be a challenge, but this brought an entirely new dynamic. He wondered if dropping out was a better option than living with Granger. Would his parents rather have him drop out or fuck a Muggle-born? It was hard to say, but Draco rather thought they'd deal with him dropping out much better than they would if they found out he'd slept with a Muggle-born.

Draco shook his head. It didn't matter. His relationship with his parents was all but entirely repudiated. They hadn't even bothered to say goodbye to him when he'd left for Hogwarts. He would never drop out of school. He would just have to maintain as much distance as possible from Granger.

* * *

He managed to stay out of Granger's way for exactly a week before she pinned him down in the common room.

Draco had just returned from dinner, having slipped out of the Great Hall once Granger began tucking into her meal. She must have seen him leave because no sooner had he entered the common room, than the door behind him was banging closed a second time.

Whirling around, Draco found Granger standing just inside the door, panting, her hands clenched at her sides. She was keeping a tight rein on her pheromones, but even still, Draco could feel them curling up and out of her, winding their way around him. He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the feel of her hormones as they danced through the air between them.

"Why do you smell so fucking good?" she growled and stalked toward him. Draco snapped his eyes open and backed away, losing track of where he was in the room. He stumbled, falling onto his arse on the sofa in front of the fireplace. Granger didn't stop advancing toward him. Her tightly leashed hormones were whipping through the room now, assaulting each of his senses. His hands grew clammy and began to shake as he scrambled over the back of the sofa to keep some distance between them.

"Don't know what you mean, Granger." Draco shrugged aiming for nonchalance but knew he hadn't achieved it with his desperate scramble over the sofa. "I'm just a Beta," he added.

"Liar," Granger chuckled low in her throat. She walked around the side of the sofa, trailing her fingers along the top. The look on her face was reminiscent of a lioness stalking prey. Draco gulped realizing _he_ was the prey. His nerves made him practically vibrate with need. The need to get away or the need to throw himself at her, he wasn't sure.

"Listen, Granger. I don't kno—"

"Oh, I _know_ what you are, Draco Malfoy," Granger drawled.

The grin on her face made her look like a predator going in for the kill. It was more than a little disturbing to see swotty Granger acting like the ultimate Alpha.

"_You,_ my dear Malfoy are an _Omega_. How did that come to pass? A poorly trained one too." Granger looked positively triumphant, she cocked her head to the side, her hair falling back, more pheromones wafting from the gland in her neck making Draco shudder. The room slowly filled with their combined scent as he lost all control of his own pheromones. Salazar, did it feel good to just forget for a pesky moment and breathe in the beautiful scent they made together.

Draco's stomach roiled as if he were free-falling from a broom. As good as Granger smelled, as good as they smelled together, as good as she looked, deep down, he knew there was something wrong with this. His biology was attempting to take control, to make him do things he knew he would regret. He had to gain control, especially if Granger was as high as he thought she might be. It was then that he noticed her school robes were off and her oxford shirt was unbuttoned enough to show off her cleavage. He knew that he couldn't sleep with her. Although it wasn't just her, he couldn't sleep with any Alpha. Not right now, he'd never learn to control his Omega nature if he gave it up to the first Alpha to pique his interest. And there was the pesky issue of Granger being a Muggle-born. Musn't forget that. His parents would truly never forgive him if he were to somehow find himself bound irrevocably to her.

"Leave me alone, Granger," Draco said his voice was low and serious and he began backing away toward his room.

"You sure you want that?" Granger asked, licking her bottom lip. Draco's eyes darted to where her tongue was and he could feel his cock harden. Granger's eyes darkened and she started smirking like she had won.

She had backed him into the wall next to his door, and despite the size difference, he towered over her, Draco still felt like she could overpower him at any moment. He looked down into her warm brown eyes, it would be so easy to give in, to just let her have what she clearly wanted.

"Yes," Draco said with finality, he nodded as if that would put a stop to her. Swallowing hard, he prepared to push past her if he had to, but he didn't, not yet, at least.

Granger breathed in sharply as if she were savoring his scent, her eyelids fluttering. It took every ounce of self-control that Draco had ever cultivated to not reach out and grab her. He could imagine what her lips would taste like, what the silky smooth skin along her neck would feel like against his tongue. Clenching his fists tighter, digging his short nails into the palms of his hands, he fought for control. Quickly, she stepped back, she turned, and ran out the portrait door, slamming it loudly behind her.

Draco let out a breath and half-collapsed onto the wall behind him. He didn't know what he did to deserve this but felt as if he'd just flown the biggest broom race of his life. Not for the first time, he desperately wished he had someone to talk to about his struggles.

Draco didn't know what to do with all the circumstances that seemed to be piling up and he needed help, he was in over his head. He had questions and no answers, meanwhile his anxiety and frustration were increasing by the day. Worse, he didn't know of anyone to ask. He'd never felt so alone. His lip trembled as he locked himself inside his room for the night, willing himself not to cry.

* * *

_Hermione_

Hermione felt like a prize idiot after her conversation with Malfoy, she stormed down the hallway not really sure where she was planning to go. On her way to nowhere she quietly gave herself a verbal lashing for being so incredibly foolish. She had practically laid herself down on the floor and begged him to take her for Circe's sake. It was ridiculous and not behavior Hermione would have ever even condoned in the past.

Being an Alpha was no joke; she knew she needed better control over her instincts and pheromones. The memory of moments before played over in her mind, only this time it was in a class setting in front of everyone. The embarrassment of it all made her shudder and her eyes welled up. She growled in frustration and rubbed angrily at her tears. If she had better control she could at least stop the feedback loop that she and Malfoy seemed to have found themselves in. Somehow, Malfoy had a hidden reserve of strength and was able to tell her no quite firmly, which Hermione could only be thankful for. She didn't want to sleep with Malfoy any more than she wanted to sleep with Harry or Ron. She wanted to fall in love with someone, have a true romance, and not just fucking fall into lust because of pheromones and hormones she couldn't control.

She needed help and fast. There was one person in the school that she knew for sure was an Alpha, she had figured it out on the first day in his class this year. But would he help her? Unlikely, but it was worth a shot. She'd been stomping through the halls somewhat aimlessly, but once decided, she began making her way toward the dungeons.

Standing outside of Professor Snape's office, Hermione was trying to rehearse what she planned to ask him, when the door to the office opened, startling her.

"Stop waffling and get in here Miss Granger," Professor Snape's voice drifted out. He sounded as irritated as ever. Fortifying herself with a deep breath to fortify, she entered his office. It was as unappealing as ever, with various half-formed creatures floating in jars. They all seemed to be looking at Hermione directly and it took everything in her not to shudder. He kept the light remarkably low, too low for Hermione's tastes.

"Hello, Professor," Hermione said, directing her gaze at the center of his desk. She tried to ignore the creatures on the wall, but she had always wondered if they were items he actually used or just there for effect. She suspected it was the latter because they never seemed to move. Idly, she wondered what the house-elves thought having to dust all of those jars.

The door clicking shut sharply behind her almost made her jump, but Hermione was used to Professor Snape's theatrics and stopped herself just in time.

Professor Snape sighed loudly. "Well, what is it." Dragging her attention up to the man who was seated behind his desk.

Hermione pursed her lips, trying to think of what to say. Professor Snape sighed again and opened his mouth, but Hermione beat him to the punch and blurted out, "I have a problem I was hoping you could help me with."

"Is it Potions related?" He wasn't quite looking at her, but past her left shoulder.

"Er, no." Hermione shook her head, trying to think of how exactly she should broach this subject. It was so… personal. She wasn't sure she would ever get the words out.

"Then go see your Head of House. Good day, Miss Granger." Professor Snape waved his hand and his door clicked back open. He had dismissed her, already focusing back on the grading before him. She didn't even know how he could read it, the light was so dim. Had Hermione not been a Gryffindor, she might have fled then. But she _was_ a Gryffindor. So she squared her shoulders and soldiered on.

"I don't think Professor McGonagall can help with this, you see." She was stuttering and utterly bollocksing this up.

"Is it school related?" Professor Snape asked, finally looking up from his grading to peer at her. His eyes were narrowed and swept over her in a perfunctory manner.

"No," Hermione said decisively, "but I think it should be," she hurried on.

"No. Now get out." Professor Snape glared at her for a moment before returning to the essay in front of him and slashing it heavily with his red-ink quill. Hermione winced, feeling sorry for whichever student would receive that essay back.

"Please, hear me out, Professor. It's just I don't know who else to turn to. I'm an Alpha," she didn't miss the professor's sharp intake of breath at that pronouncement, nor the way his eyes flicked up to see the Alpha mark she was showing him on her wrist, "and I've barely had any training and…" She didn't know how she could tell him that Malfoy was an Omega. It really wasn't her business, except that she had to live with him without molesting him.

"And…?" Professor Snape drawled. This time when he looked at her, there was a hint of vague interest in his dark eyes.

"And, Malfoy's an Omega," she whispered. "I know it's not my business, but he clearly hasn't had any training either. And I just… I don't want to do something in the heat of the moment. I don't…" She couldn't even articulate her worst fears, but it was clear that Professor Snape understood.

He sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "I assume Mr Malfoy would be unwilling to train with you?"

"I, er, haven't asked him, but, um, Ron could probably use some more training too. I'm sure I could ask him." Hermione tried not to shuffle her feet, but the tension that was thick in the room was getting to her.

"Insufferable," he muttered under his breath. Louder he said, "Fine. You and Weasley be here at seven tomorrow evening. If you are late, I won't be helping you."

"Thank you! Thank you, Professor, truly!"

Snape growled and flicked his hand at the door which was now standing wide open. Hermione thanked him once again and raced off to find Ron.

Relief flooded her as she sped through the corridors. The last thing she wanted to do was take advantage of anyone. Draco Malfoy included. And if training with Professor Snape meant that Ron would stop attempting to paw at her any time they were near each other, that was only for the better.

* * *

"Do we really have to do this?" Ron complained as Hermione dragged him down the stairs to the dungeon the following evening.

"Yes! You don't want to be ruled by your pheromones for the rest of your life, do you?" Hermione asked.

She'd found a somewhat helpful book in the library about controlling pheromones and she'd been practicing with it all day. It was helpful in that Ron could be around her for the most part, but Malfoy was avoiding her again, so she didn't know if it would work on him. And that worried her.

Malfoy smelled different to her than Ron did. They both smelled like Omega's, but Malfoy smelled _delicious_, in a way that Ron did not. Hermione didn't know if it was because it was Malfoy's biology, or because she was ever so slightly attracted to him, (not that she planned to admit that to anyone), but she had a feeling her newfound fleeting control on her pheromones might work on Ron, but wouldn't work on Malfoy.

Hermione was quite frankly, terrified of the reaction she had to Malfoy. She felt wild and out of control near him. Like he was the only person who could sate the lust that began rolling through her body. It was exhilarating and being able to learn to control it was enticing, but it was also downright terrifying.

"Get in here," Professor Snape said once they'd arrived at his office.

He sounded especially testy today and Hermione didn't want to do anything that would anger him further. Bidding them to sit on the hard-backed chairs before his desk, Hermione took the one closest to the door, sitting on the edge of it, and tapping her foot nervously. Ron slumped into his, clearly looking like he didn't want to be there. If they were closer, she would have elbowed him. As it was, she shot him a glare, which he ignored.

"I'm going to assume you both know the basics about pheromones and how they act and attract opposites of each other," Snape began his lecture. "What you may be less aware of is the cycle of attraction that can become uncontrollable if left unchecked. Allowing your pheromones to run free is not only considered rude it can lead to potentially disastrous results. The key is to manage not only your own pheromone production but your response to the opposite pheromones as well. Potions have always had a role to play here, they can dampen pheromones quite easily, however, they are damaging long term and thus are only given when absolutely necessary.

"Generally, it is advised to figure out what works for your body in controlling your pheromone production. And the best way to figure that out is through meditation."

"Really?" Ron sounded unimpressed.

"Yes, Weasley. We'll attempt it now. It is common during the learning stages of this technique that your pheromones get out of control, however with further practice, it is easy to achieve. At least, it is easy for those who have at least a modicum of intelligence." Professor Snape cast a baleful gaze at Ron and Hermione's lips twitched. Ron wasn't unintelligent, he caught that Snape was razzing him and glared at Snape in return, but he was rather impatient.

"Let us begin. Close your eyes."

Professor Snape's voice was melodious enough that Hermione had no trouble relaxing to the point where she could pick apart all of the smells in the room as Snape directed.

There was the sharp, spicy scent of the various potions ingredients, the old dust, and the polished wood smell of Snape's desk. Parchment and ink from the essays laying atop the desk. Ron's own scent that smelled overwhelmingly of freshly mown grass. Hermione could barely detect a hint of sandalwood that she assumed was Snape himself. She was unsurprised that he was able to control his pheromones to a degree that she could barely smell them. Then, that light flowery scent had to be her. It was faintly like gardenias, and she smiled, they had always been her favorite.

"Now, once you've figured out which scent is yours, concentrate on it, know it, inside and out, backward and forward. Then once you're sure you have it. Make it disappear. That may take a bit to figure out because it's different for everyone."

Hermione concentrated on the smell of gardenias, but she could hear Ron grumbling under his breath beside her. She forced thoughts of Ron from her mind and concentrated on her smell and gardenias. How they looked when they bloomed, gathering a bunch from the flowering bush just outside her window at her parent's home. The more she concentrated the stronger the smell became. Floral, with a hint of spring rain and dirt underneath it all. She inhaled deeply, savoring that scent, truly learning it as Professor Snape suggested.

"That's it, Miss Granger, you've got it down now," Professor Snape encouraged for what was probably the first time ever in Hermione's life. Working hard not to lose her concentration in the face of such praise, she was almost startled out of the slight trance she had fallen into when she heard a hiss and a muffled thump.

"Now find where the scent is coming from. Sometimes it's from the center part of your body, near your heart. Sometimes it's your hands. Most often, it's in your head. Figure out where the scent is the strongest."

Hermione opened up her mind's eye and followed the scent, she could almost see the trail of the scent where it left her chest. It was a pearly, misty, white and when she dragged her hands through it, the scent grew. Following with her mind's eye where the scent drifted from her chest, right there, near her heart was a small pulsing spot of bright white light.

"Once you've found it, turn it off."

Brows furrowed, Hermione examined the pulsing light. The more she examined, the stronger the smell of gardenias became.

"Turn it off," Snape said again, more impatiently this time as gardenias wafted through the room, overpowering almost everything else..

"I don't know how!" Hermione snapped, frustration making her muscles tense and she almost opened her eyes. Taking a deep breath, Hermione refocused her concentration on the pulsing light in her chest, examining it.

"Figure. It. Out," Snape snapped. His voice sounded weird like he was gritting his teeth. Hermione wanted to follow that thought, but the pulsing light drew her back in.

Huffing slightly, Hermione concentrated once more. She examined all around it, picking it up with her hands, even though she logically knew that wasn't possible, she still watched herself do it. Finally spotting a part on the back that wasn't pulsing a bright white light. It was dark. Almost as if it were a switch. She pressed her imaginary thumb to that spot and sent a jolt of magic through. The small white spot immediately went dark and stopped pulsing. The smell of gardenias began to fade.

"Well done," Professor Snape said in a smooth tone. Hermione beamed up at him, refusing to open her eyes until he commanded her to do so.

When they opened, Professor Snape was smirking softly at her. While Ron was half-naked and tied up on the floor before her chair. His face a brilliant red, even though he averted his eyes.

"Uh, what happened?" Panic flooded her at the thought that she might have hurt her friend.

Ron reddened further but refused to say anything.

"Unsurprisingly, Mr Weasley is much less focused than you are, Miss Granger," Professor Snape drawled. "As such, he won't be _trainable_ and you are both excused." Professor Snape flicked his wand and Ron was dressed and standing near the door. Without waiting for Hermione, he scurried out of the office.

"Seriously?" Hermione muttered watching him leave and turning back toward the professor.

"Unfortunately, without an Omega willing to train with you, these lessons cannot continue," Professor Snape said. He almost sounded apologetic, which Hermione wasn't sure that she'd ever heard from him before.

"If I come back with another Omega?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"I believe I've given you enough to figure the rest out on your own. I don't have time to babysit you, Miss Granger."

_Ah, there was Snape the Bastard that she was used to_. She pursed her lips, but nodded and left his office.

Snape wasn't wrong, he had given her some good tools, but she needed to spend some time practicing. Which, given the amount of pheromones she let off in Professor Snape's office, practicing may be difficult to do without drawing every Omega in the school to her.

Despite the tools he'd given her, allowing her pheromones to run so wild for so long had given her an intense arousal that was sitting low in her belly. She hadn't been this aroused since presenting and she knew it would be easy for her to lose control if she went back to the Heads dorm. It was a problem that she mulled over as she was passing the Hufflepuff common room and the scent of Omega drifted out. It wasn't Ron or Malfoy and maybe that's exactly what she needed. A different Omega to practice with, one where there wasn't any of the messy-ness that practicing with either Ron or Malfoy presented.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I am so sorry I'm a whole day late! Thank you for being patient with me! And another whopping thanks to all of the readers and reviewers. You're the best!**

**VinoAmore is the best Alpha/Beta out there! **

**If you liked this (or hated it) let me know about it in a review! Find me on Tumblr at crochetawayhpff.**

* * *

**The Adjustment: Chapter 3**

* * *

_Draco_

Draco couldn't get to class quick enough as he rushed through the ancient corridors. He grimaced as Potter walked past him and the smell of pheromones wafted through the air and enshrouded his senses. He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth and picked up the pace. Luckily no other Alpha seemed to turn him into a quivering mess quite like Granger. He was still angry at whatever fate or force was responsible for Potter and Granger presenting as Alphas and it was no consolation that Weasley was an Omega. He hated the very thought, he shuddered as he dragged himself through the winding stone halls. The only consoling bit about the whole scenario was he had some semblance of control, unlike Weasley who panted after any and every Alpha he came across. The only Alpha that Draco truly panted after was Granger. She smelled so fucking good, like cinnamon and spice… _and everything nice_, his brain supplied for him. Shaking his head, he tried to push thoughts of her out of his brain.

Thankfully, she had been keeping herself scarce in the common room. Draco was pretty sure she was spending all of her time in the Gryffindor common room and only coming into the head dorms to sleep. Which was fine by him, the less time he spent around her, the better. Given enough time, perhaps he would finally figure out a way to control his reaction to her. It was by sheer force of will that he had been able to do so thus far.

He knew there was a way for Alphas and Omegas to control their reactions to each other, however, he also knew that there were some Alphas and Omegas who were extra-attuned to one another. And the longer Draco was at Hogwarts, feeling every pheromone dropped by every Alpha in the building, the more he felt that perhaps Granger was the Alpha he was extra-attuned to. That was something he didn't want to much think about.

Sighing heavily, he ducked into an alcove and breathed deeply. Granger had just walked by, seemingly oblivious to Draco, and it took every ounce of willpower Draco possessed to not crawl to her, begging her to take him. His cheeks reddened as humiliation burned through him. He wasn't a fucking virgin and he hated that he was subservient in this farce. He'd never been subservient to anything or anyone in his fucking life. And here he was, as bad as Weasley, panting after her. He wiped his suddenly sweaty palms on a handkerchief he pulled from his pocket. If it wasn't his palms sweaty, it was Draco having to wrap his robes around him to conceal his consistently hard cock. It was like being thirteen all over again. He walked around hard all the time now.

It was almost December, which meant only six more months of this hell left. It seemed impossibly long, although Draco could only hope it went by as fast as most school years did. This year was terrible, not just because of the Omega issue, although that was reason enough. No, to add insult to injury his care packages from home had ceased. Draco had looked forward to those all year, but it seemed being an Omega was the _worst_ thing he could have done as a Malfoy. Even if it wasn't his fault, he was being blamed for it.

Draco closed his eyes, beating his head against the wall behind him. Six months. He had to hold out for six months and then maybe he could just disappear. Fuck Britain. Fuck his parents.

_Hopefully, fuck Granger_.

NO! Draco practically shouted in his own mind, his eyes snapping open. He had to get Granger off of his mind. But what could he do? Find another Alpha? Nobody smelled nearly as good as Granger did. Nobody was nearly as enticing as her, and it's not like he could just beg another Alpha to take him without it then getting all over school within a matter of hours. No. He had to stay strong and not give in to his urges. He was a Malfoy, damnit. And he wouldn't give in to his baser urges. He was better than that. Stronger than that.

Taking a final deep, clean, Granger-free, Alpha-free, breath of air, Draco sauntered out of the alcove with the haughtiest look he could manage. His dark thoughts swirled, as he stalked the halls, knowing he wasn't reining in his pheromones. Draco found himself not caring. He was too angry to care. Too furious with himself, with his parents, with the world at large.

He was almost to Charms class when he was accosted by Professor Snape. Snape took one look at him and sneered at Draco. He flicked his finger, indicating that Draco should follow, and Snape led him out of the Charms corridor and down into the dungeons.

Snape's office door banged open as he gestured Draco inside.

Draco slumped into the proffered chair, ignoring how uncomfortable it was. Snape loved to make visitors as uncomfortable as possible, so they'd leave as soon as possible. It was a sentiment Draco shared with him. He ignored Snape as the older man looked him over. A snap of Snape's fingers and tea was on the desk between them. Draco ignored that too. Instead, he focused on his shoes. They needed a shining, he would have to ask one of the house-elves about it this weekend.

"Have a biscuit, Mr Malfoy," Snape said after pouring tea for them both. Draco was slightly surprised Snape even knew how he took his tea. Snape didn't seem to be the type to notice that sort of thing. Perhaps that came with the Head of House job, knowing how his students took their tea. He picked up his teacup and took a tentative sip.

Tea with Snape wasn't new for Draco, but it was uncommon, especially sitting in Snape's office and not at the Manor in whichever room Mother was favoring that month. Draco took a chocolate biscuit and had just bitten into it when Snape started talking.

"You cannot waste away because your presentation was not the one you were expecting," Snape began. Draco coughed, spraying biscuit crumbs everywhere, before choking down some tea to clear his throat.

"How do you know?" Draco asked sullenly. He had been wondering what this meeting was about, it seemed now he knew.

"Everybody in the bloody castle knows," Snape hissed. "Stop. Wallowing. You are the only heir to the Malfoy family, you need to figure out a way to control your hormones and your reaction to Alphas and deal with it."

Draco snorted. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one bucking a thousand years of familial tradition. My parents won't even fucking talk to me. Like this is my bloody fault."

Snape sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Your parents are acting like idiots. I'll owl them."

"Don't bother," Draco muttered. He took another sip of his tea while he considered Snape.

"Why don't I feel any Alpha pheromones from you?" Draco asked. He knew that Snape was an Alpha, had since his first year.

"Because I'm an adult and can control myself," Snape snapped. "Merlin, we should separate Alphas and Omegas their final year," he murmured under his breath. Louder he said, "I can help you control your responses to Alphas, but don't tell anyone. I won't have half of the seventh year class after me to teach them."

"Really?" Draco asked, incredulously.

It was quite intimate to be taught control, which is why it generally happened within families. And Snape was notorious for being standoffish. Although, Draco knew neither of his parents would bother to lift a finger to help him. It was as if being an Omega was the worst sort of contagious illness instead of a quirk of biology that Draco couldn't help.

Snape nodded sharply, a pained look on his face, and set a time for Draco to come back that evening to begin his lessons. As ridiculous as it was, Draco was looking forward to them. The sooner he was able to control his pheromones and his response to Alpha pheromones the better. Perhaps he would even have a shot of being in the same room with Granger without his thoughts becoming clouded with visions of her naked and rolling on a bed, begging him to come to her. He bit his cheeks and shook his head hard, that sort of imagery certainly wasn't helping.

* * *

By January, Draco felt more in control than he had since the summer. He was able to tamp down his response to Alphas, even severely untrained ones like Potter. And judging by Granger's reactions, she was having less of a response to him. Draco felt like he could finally breathe and things felt like they were looking up. Not only did Snape's techniques work, but Draco also felt like he was getting better and better at them. Five months into the school year, and he finally felt like he was settled. In all honesty, he still couldn't wait for this year to be over with.

He hadn't gotten a single owl from his parents in five months, and he wondered what that meant. Had he been officially disowned? He didn't want to think what it would mean if they were unable to find a pure-blood Beta to be his wife. Draco had been raised with certain expectations and his parents finding him a wife was one of them. But his parents had also always coddled him, so this unexpected cold-shoulder for the last five months had rocked him. He felt off-kilter and unsure of what was going to happen once he finished Hogwarts at the end of the year.

Halfway through January, Draco entered the head dorm for the evening, intent on a shower and his bed when he was bowled over by a blast of pheromones. He staggered beneath the weight and almost hit his knees. It wasn't just Granger's Alpha pheromones, but another Omega as well.

It seemed Granger was entertaining. _Merlin_, Draco took a deep breath, it reeked, but he tried to ignore it as he closed his eyes and attempted to visualize his inner response center and shut it down. It took several long moments, but when he succeeded, he was finally able to breathe again without wanting to rip off every shred of clothing he was wearing.

After he had himself fully under control, Draco sat down on one of the sofas to wait out whoever was in Granger's room. He wanted to know which Omega she had decided to get her rocks off with. Draco didn't recognize the smell, but he knew for certain that it wasn't Weasley. For some reason, that at least, made Draco happy. He would hate to see Granger degrade herself with a Weasley.

Digging through his bag, Draco began reviewing his Charms essay for grammar mistakes. Might as well be productive while he waited for Granger's lover to leave. It was almost an hour later when the door to Granger's room opened. Susan Bones, of all people, stumbled out. She looked as though she'd been shagged six ways from Sunday and a new blast of Alpha pheromones hit Draco all over again. He steeled himself against it, reaching once more for his inner response center and making sure it was firmly off.

Bones giggled something to Granger through the open door before practically floating her way out of the common room and into the hallway beyond. Draco narrowed his eyes as he followed her progress. Granger had just had a witch in her bed. The image of a busty Bones and a gorgeous Granger writhing on a bed together took shape in his head and every exercise Snape had taught him went out the window.

"Oh, fucking Merlin," Draco muttered as his cock hardened rather painfully. He was almost lightheaded with how quickly it happened and he knew he was flooding the room with his pheromones, but he didn't care. He couldn't get images of Granger and Bones naked together out of his head

The door to Granger's room had slipped closed after Bones had left, but Draco found himself across the room faster than his brain could process and he was inside her room, with the door closed behind him. All thoughts of propriety gone from his head.

"What are you doing?" he growled to her, stalking forward.

"What are you talking about?" Granger asked raising one eyebrow at him.

She was lounging on her bed in a barely-there black robe and the scent of sex and the pheromones were overwhelming any lick of good sense he had previously possessed. He couldn't tear his eyes from her body before him, although he desperately wanted to. He wanted to get far away from Granger and her dangerous pheromones that made him want to fall to his knees before her and beg her to ride him.

"Susan Bones? I didn't know you played for the other team, Granger." He cocked his head to the side as he reached the bed. His fingers twitched with the urge to touch her golden skin.

"I needed to clear my head," Granger said lightly, but something in her eyes struck a chord in Draco's chest. He wanted more than anything to crawl onto that bed with her and plunge his rock hard cock into her still leaking quim. Instead, he found some of that good sense he knew he possessed and he clenched his fists as he stormed out of the room. Leaving a delicious looking Granger behind him. He ignored her bewildered look. He ignored her calling after him. He ignored everything as his feet began going faster and faster. He hit a sprint by the time he was out in the corridor. His only intention was to get as far away from Granger and the heady pheromones she was practically leaking. He was angry with Granger, angry with himself, and the crux of it all was that he had no idea why.

* * *

_Hermione_

It was halfway through February when Hermione felt the itch again. The itch to dominate an Omega. The itch to have so much mind-blowing sex that she wouldn't be able to move for an entire weekend. Like she'd last had with Susan Bones a month before. The problem was that while Susan had expressed how much fun she had, taking a walk on the wild side, she had quite firmly stated she did not want a repeat performance. Which, Hermione could understand. She and Susan had a lot of fun, experimenting with each other, figuring out what felt good, what each of them liked, but at the end of the day, Hermione wanted a wizard in her bed. Susan did too. So they had parted as friends.

But that didn't help Hermione now. Now she wanted an Omega to dominate. Ron was out of the question, as usual. As was Malfoy for obvious reasons, although thoughts of Malfoy crawling across the room on hands and knees begging for her flitted through her mind on an almost daily basis. _Merlin_, what she would do to him if he ever decided he was interested.

Hermione shook her head to clear her thoughts, perhaps she should Apparate to London during the upcoming Hogsmeade weekend. It wasn't technically allowed, but Hermione knew she was unlikely to get in trouble for it. She was itching out of her skin here and needed some relief. She didn't know what the other Alphas did to get relief, but now that she had an Omega to dominate, the idea of being with a Beta or another Alpha was almost off-putting.

The more she thought about leaving Hogwarts though, the more Malfoy slipped into her mind. She assumed the romp with Susan would have been enough to clear him from her senses, but that was not the case. Not the case at all. She had a hard time focusing on her schoolwork when Malfoy was around. She'd taken to doing all of her studying in the library, just to escape his presence.

It wasn't long before Malfoy was all she was thinking about. She was impressed with his control, especially judging by Ron who didn't bother to control anything. Every other day, Ron was panting after one Alpha or another. Although, he'd quickly learnt his lesson after Hermione had sent a stinging hex his way for the third day in a row. Now, he never bothered her, which was the only relief Hermione was able to get.

Perhaps she could lure Malfoy into her bed? It felt like a worthy shot. She had come on rather strong every time they interacted, her hormones ratcheting up just because he was near her. Her control was improving as she worked through the exercises Professor Snape had given her, though there was something about Malfoy that made her want to throw all of her control out of the window and fuck him until she was raw.

At this point, she'd try anything to get Malfoy into bed with her. Even if that meant being friendly with him. He wasn't a bad person, although cantankerous and tetchy, he was smart, good in his classes, an excellent Quidditch seeker. And his body, Hermione hummed to herself as she thought of how delicious his body must look judging by the way he looked in his Quidditch robes.

_Right_, she thought, breathing deeply, _start being nicer to Malfoy_. She could do that.

* * *

A week later, Hermione decided she was ready to implement her be-nicer-to-Malfoy plan. The first step was to stop avoiding him. To that end, she decided to study in the head common room instead of the library. Perhaps she and Malfoy could even form some sort of study partnership.

The first night she studied in their shared common room Malfoy took one look at her and fled to his bedroom. He glared at her the entire time, but Hermione wasn't worried. Hermione was nothing if not persistent.

It took almost two weeks for Malfoy to not glare upon seeing her in their shared common room with books spread before her.

Three weeks after Malfoy stopped glaring, Malfoy stopped immediately leaving the common room if she was in there. He would even nod to her and sit down on one of the other sofas on occasion. Hermione hadn't stopped smiling after the first night of that.

Another week went by before Malfoy actually spoke to her.

"What are you doing for Snape's assignment?" Malfoy asked, running a hand through his hair, mussing it up in a way that Hermione found very attractive. She bit her lip, keeping a tight rein on her pheromones.

"The effects of charmed wards and potions making," Hermione mumbled, acting as if she wasn't watching him from the corner of her eye. She flipped through one of the books at her side. She didn't want to scare him off, so she was intentionally trying to play it cool. Hermione felt like she was downright Slytherin these days.

"Really? That seems rather…advanced." Malfoy cocked an eyebrow at her.

"It is. I had to see Snape during his office hours and argue my thesis before he would even let me tackle it," Hermione replied.

"Of course, you did," Malfoy snorted and returned to his reading. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him but ignored him and gritted her teeth. Her grip tightening on her pheromones. She couldn't scare him off. She wouldn't scare him off. The whole point was to be friendly, nice, to Malfoy. To lure him to her so that he would trust her. So that he would want her as much as she wanted him.

A few moments later, Malfoy stood and packed up his belongings. He walked back into his bedroom without another word to Hermione.

She let loose a frustrated growl, unwittingly releasing a buildup of Alpha pheromones that she had so carefully kept under wraps. She'd been at this for weeks and still was nowhere closer to luring him into her bed.

Not a minute had passed before Malfoy was back out of his bedroom and looking at her with a gleam in his eyes.

"Malfoy?" Hermione asked, looking at him. She had kept such a tight rein on her control she was worried her slip had affected him.

"Granger," he smirked at her and sat right next to her on the sofa. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.

"Are you feeling alright?"

"Oh, I think you know how well I'm feeling right now," Malfoy said, as he ran a finger up her arm.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked, still guarded. Although the pheromones Malfoy was pumping into the air was driving her a little batty. Her eyes fluttered as she struggled to keep a grip on her own reactions to him.

"You look nice," Malfoy said. His finger was now tugging at the collar of Hermione's shirt. He dragged the digit around the opening and Hermione's skin positively tingled in response.

The grip Hermione had on her Alpha response was slipping as a result of the path his finger was traveling.

"I think you should go back to your room," Hermione said through clenched teeth. "You aren't yourself."

"No." Malfoy licked his lips and stared down into Hermione's eyes. "I'm exactly where I want to be."

"Malfoy," Hermione said warningly, "plea—" he cut her off and slanted his mouth over hers.

Any control Hermione thought she had was gone the moment his lips touched hers. Her reaction to Malfoy was nothing like her reaction to Susan had been. With Susan, she had felt pleasantly warm and aroused. With Malfoy, it felt as if an inferno was beneath her skin. She wanted to rip off her clothes and his. His finger felt like fire as it traced along her neck.

Her hormones raced through her body, flushing her skin as her heart beat fast and before she knew it, she was straddling Malfoy's lap and both of them were half-dressed. Hermione's shirt hung from her shoulders, and she pushed Malfoy's off his shoulder entirely.

"Merlin, Granger," Malfoy murmured as he peeled her bra off and weighed her breasts in his hands. Hermione tossed her head back when he thumbed her nipples and she clung to his shoulders as he flexed his hips and she felt his length against her core. _Merlin_, this felt better than anything she and Susan had gotten up to. A thought tried to worm its way into Hermione's brains. She needed to stop this. She needed to rein in her pheromones. As the Alpha, it was her job.

"We should sto—" Hermione was cut off again when he kissed her. The last shreds of Hermione's control were gone with that kiss and all she could do was wind her hands in Malfoy's hair and hold on as he kissed her like she was the breath of a drowning man. She'd never had a kiss as explosively as this. The feedback loop that the pheromones were providing was incredibly heady. Hermione felt like she was high and she never wanted the feeling to end.

Malfoy tugged her knickers aside and slid his cock inside Hermione's tight channel before she had even really realized what had happened. It was like a fog had fallen over her and she was operating only on hormones and need.

She wrapped one hand around the back of Malfoy's neck and if his reactions prior had been strong, now they went into overdrive. Every action, ratcheted up her desire several notches. Even as she bounced on his cock, he had his hands cupping her breasts, bringing first one nipple, then the other to his mouth. Her orgasm hit her like a speeding freight train and she held onto him tightly as the pleasure rocketed through her body.

Malfoy gave no quarter. He turned her swiftly so she was lying on her back on the couch and held each of her legs on his shoulders as he pounded into her. He was hitting a spot so deep inside that Hermione was quite sure it was the sole cause of the stars that seemed to be dancing in front of her eyes.

"Malfoy...Draco," she whined deep in her throat as his movements increased their pace. The tendons in his neck stood out and Hermione reached a hand up, trying to caress them, but he wasn't quite close enough for her to reach. Instead, she palmed her breasts and thumbed her nipples. Malfoy's eyes zeroed in on her hands and his hips stuttered for a moment.

"Do you like seeing me touch myself?" Hermione asked him. Her sultry sounding voice half surprised her. A much deeper tone than she was used to.

"Fucking hell, Granger," Malfoy groaned. "I'd die a happy man if the last thing I ever saw was the way you pinch your nipples."

Hermione's lips twitched at his words and Malfoy's pace increased. "Touch your clit," he demanded. Hermione slid a hand down her stomach to where Malfoy was hammering into her and began circling her clit very lightly. She was so close that it wouldn't take much. Soon enough, she was flying off into the land of pleasure. Malfoy followed close behind, his neck straining as he grunted through his orgasm.

Malfoy collapsed on top of her and Hermione wrapped her arms around him. When her hand brushed the back of his neck, he shuddered and his entire body went boneless in her arms. Hermione smiled, kissing his brow before settling in for a much needed nap.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: My readers are seriously the best. The reception this little story has gotten is out of this world! Thank you all soo much! Enjoy this final chater!**

**VinoAmore is the best Alpha/Beta out there!**

**If you liked this (or hated it) let me know about it in a review! Find me on Tumblr at crochetawayhpff.**

* * *

**The Adjustment: Chapter 4**

* * *

_Draco_

Draco woke slowly, his eyes fluttered as he came to, he was warm and comfortable. His body was the right kind of sore that indicated a truly fantastic shag the night before. He smiled, and inhaled deeply, trying to remember just who it was he had shagged. Pansy, most likely. It must have been a truly amazing night for him to be this sore. Stretching his arms over his head, Draco slowly opened his eyes.

His entire body went cold when he didn't recognize the room he was in. Everything from that year came flooding back, including his status as an Omega. He rolled over to see Granger lying next to him and the scent of Alpha swept over him so quickly he went light-headed. He bolted upright as he tried to remember what exactly had taken place the night before. He'd shagged Granger. He must have, but how? Draco peeked back over at Granger, and watching her lie there in bed, the whole thing came back to him.

Granger had lost control of her Alpha pheromones practically flooding the Head dorm room with them. Draco had tried to fight them, but it felt as if he were swimming upstream. In the end, he'd sighed, and returned to the common room. Then what…? It got a little foggy after that. He knew that they flirted and then…had she straddled him?

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Had she touched his Omega mark? Is that what caused the pleasant, drugged feeling? Whatever happened, it seemed clear that they had crossed a line. Shame flooded his body. He _hated_ being an Omega. He hated that this was what his life was reduced to. A touch to the mark on the back of his neck and he was putty in an Alphas hands. Worse, if Granger had touched his Omega mark, and the more Draco was thinking about it, the more likely it seemed, it meant that if his Omega mark was touched his memory of the following events went fuzzy. It enraged him to think that he had so little control.

Suddenly, Draco was quite sure he was going to be sick. He scrambled out of the bed, looking for his clothes, but not finding any. His wand was on the nightstand though, so he snatched it and summoned a pair of pants, jumping into them quickly. He had to get out of here. He had to get away from her. From her scent. From the shame that filled him at the thought of what they had done.

"Hey," Granger mumbled, rolling over. "'Morning."

Draco glared at her. Did she think they could just act _normal_ after that? If he hadn't been angry before, now he was positively simmering in rage.

"Do you make it a habit of assaulting Omegas you want to sleep with? Should I start a support group with Bones?" Draco hissed nastily.

"Woah," Granger sat up suddenly, the sheet pooling around her waist, exposing her glorious breasts, but Draco had an iron grip on his Omega pheromones and wasn't going to be swayed by her body. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"You touched my Omega mark," Draco spat through gritted teeth. He hated admitting it, but she needed to know. He needed her to know. If for nothing else so that she would know how much she had fucked up. He had never felt this violated before. It was awful. All he wanted to do was get in a hot shower and scrub her from his skin.

"I...what?" she shook her head, finally seeming to realize that she was exposing herself to him and yanked the sheet up, tucking it under her arms.

Draco scoffed. "Oh? Have I found something that the swotty know-it-all doesn't know?"

Granger shook her head. "I really have no idea what you are talking about. I touched your Omega mark. What's wrong with that?"

"You really have no idea?" Draco asked. He was still fucking livid, but he was also half-incredulous that nobody had told her anything about them. Or did she know and she was now playing dumb? _Or her mind is clouded because of the amazing orgasms you gave her last night_. The minute the thought flitted through his mind, Draco shut it down. He felt too violated to even entertain how amazing the night before had been.

"I…"

"You are a piece of work, Granger. Stay the fuck away from me," Draco spat before turning on his heels and leaving the room entirely.

He went back to his room and showered as quickly as possible, he would take a longer shower later when he got away from the Head dorm and away from her. He packed some necessities and left the head dorm entirely. He'd bunk down in Slytherin for the rest of the year if he had too. There was no way he was planning to stay alone with Granger for any amount of time.

* * *

A week went by before Draco felt calm enough to even talk to someone else about what happened. He knew that he wasn't dealing with it well. Confusion, hurt, and disgust swirled through him and he was spiraling out of control. He could barely keep control of his Omega pheromones, unable to even control himself around Alpha's he found absolutely disgusting like Potter or Nott. It was embarrassing and Draco found himself only leaving the Slytherin common room for class.

He was aware that he had consented at the moment. That was clear to him. It was unclear when exactly Granger touched his Omega mark. He couldn't quite remember, but he didn't think it was until they were already fucking. Did she touch it more than once? Were the effects cumulative? Or was one touch enough to leave him feeling completely out of it? He didn't know, but he knew he needed to find the answers.

He decided he should at least get Snape's opinion on the whole episode. Snape was an Alpha, maybe he could provide some insight that Draco was missing. The whole thing irritated him because he just didn't understand. He didn't understand the biology of Omegas and he didn't know why he or any of them hadn't been given clearer instructions on it all. What he did know was that he _hated_ being an Omega. It felt particularly unfair that Granger got to be an Alpha while Draco was an Omega. But that was something he knew he was going to have to get over. He couldn't change biology, not that he hadn't been attempted to try, but everything he read about it, deemed it impossible.

"Come in," Snape intoned after Draco knocked on his office door. Entering the office swiftly, Draco closed the door behind him and waited for Snape to acknowledge him.

Snape looked up at him and sighed heavily before setting down his quill and templing his hands on the desk before him. "Sit."

Draco moved forward and sat in one of the uncomfortable hardback chairs Snape had in his office.

"What do you want, Mr Malfoy?"

"What do you know about Omega marks?" Draco asked. He felt too embarrassed to admit what happened straight out.

Snape lifted one eyebrow. "They are extremely sensitive to an Alpha's touch," he said. "It's considered bad form to touch one without permission."

"Bad form?" Draco almost choked. "It's practically rape," he hissed. He snapped his jaw shut and gripped the arms of the chair he was in. He had said too much and now couldn't meet Snape's eyes for several moments as he tried to get himself under control.

"What happened?" Snape asked. His chilly demeanor had warmed somewhat and was looking at Draco with concern. Draco's gaze darted toward him for a moment before looking away from him again.

"I—we—" he gulped, swallowing the lump in his throat that threatened tears. He was not going to cry in front of Snape. He had been very careful not to cry in front of anyone, but the violation against his person he felt was so strong. It contradicted the lingering want he had for Granger. The lust was still there, Draco just forced it aside. Hoping that ignoring it entirely would make it go away.

"Spit it out," Snape said, snapping Draco out of his fumbling explanation.

"Granger touched my Omega mark. I lost control. I—I'm confused about what I wanted at the moment, but it felt like a violation. And then she acted like she had no idea what it meant."

"Perhaps she didn't," Snape said. "Her education on being an Alpha is likely as spotty as yours on being an Omega. The Omega mark is where, back of the neck, correct?"

Draco nodded tersely.

"And that seems like a rather commonplace to touch when engaged in activities that are frankly out of bounds as Hogwarts students," Snape reminded him.

Draco didn't blush because Snape knew he and Granger had fucked, it was more because he was angry about the entire situation. He sighed and closed his eyes, he knew that it was likely Granger hadn't known about what touching an Omega mark would do. But did that excuse her actions? He didn't know. "Perhaps you're right," he said after several moments of silence.

"Perhaps you should educate her on the importance of consent."

"Why should that be my job? You should do it, you're the professor," Draco said insolently.

"It is not Hogwarts place to educate on biology," Snape said. Repeating a phrase that sounded tired and old even to Draco's ears.

"It's a school, isn't it?" Draco asked snidely.

Snape glared at him. "I don't get much of a choice on the curriculum, Mr Malfoy. If I had it my way, none of you blighters would present until _after_ your seventh year."

"Right," Draco muttered, looking away again.

"Why are you here?" Snape asked.

"I don't know what to do," Draco admitted. "I don't know what to do about Granger. About being an Omega. I never thought...this wasn't how this was supposed to happen. _She_ shouldn't be an Alpha and I shouldn't be an Omega and the whole world is just fucked up. It wasn't what I was expecting." Draco stopped. He knew he was whining, but he couldn't seem to help himself. He took a big breath and met Snape's eyes. Snape looked slightly understanding, which surprised Draco.

"You should think about what you want out of your life. Being an Omega doesn't mean your life is ruined. You can stay out of the Alpha-business altogether and settle down with a Beta. It seems hard now because you can't control your hormones, but your life won't always be like that. Within a year or so, your hormones will matter less. Polite society doesn't really acknowledge the biology in any meaningful way."

"And if I think I want Granger?" Malfoy whispered, unable to meet Snape's eyes, almost unable to admit it to himself.

"Then you should find a way to talk to her," Snape said dourly. Draco wasn't sure which upset Snape more, the fact that he was interested in Granger, or the fact that Draco seemed to want to be a willing slave to his hormones.

Draco thanked Snape for his advice and left the Potions Master's office. He had a lot to think about. Namely, was Granger a good enough shag to want to continue shagging her? Or could he resist the pull for the rest of the school year? He had no doubts, that if he shagged her for months on end, he wouldn't be able to just give her up at the end of the school year. And maybe more importantly than all of that, was how his family was going to feel about it?

He could practically hear his mother's disappointment and his father's disdain. Perhaps that was reason enough to ignore Granger for the next several months.

* * *

Draco stewed for another week in the Slytherin dormitory. He kipped on a couch in the common room since there wasn't a spare bed in the seventh year boys' room and was sick of waking up to the chattering of first years every morning. It was a Friday when he decided to head back to the Head dormitory. Perhaps Granger wouldn't even be about.

He tried convincing himself that she wouldn't be there the entire way to their third floor common room. He was completely unsurprised to enter their shared common room to see Granger sitting on the sofa with several books and piles of parchment strewn about on the low table in front of her.

"Malfoy!" she looked up sharply at him. Her eyes widened and surprise and she attempted to tuck her bushy mane behind her ears. When that didn't work she twisted her hands in her lap. "What are you doing here?"

"I do live here," Draco drawled. He entered the room properly but didn't make any further moves.

"I want to apologize," Granger said standing suddenly. She paced toward him and Draco stood stock still as he watched her approach. "I was completely out of line the other week. I—I _assaulted_ you. It was a crime. And if you want to turn me into the Ministry, I _completely_ understand."

By the time she was finished talking, she was standing right in front of him. She looked up at him with large brown eyes that were swimming with tears. Draco grit his teeth. He hadn't meant to make her cry.

"Don't cry, Granger. Of course, I'm not going to turn you into the Ministry. They would excuse it as a bad biological combination anyway. No way would they actually _charge_ you with anything."

"Oh." Granger blinked at him. "I—I didn't know. Regardless, it doesn't matter. I'm truly sorry. It was unconscionable. I've offered McGonagall my Head Girl badge, but she refused to take it."

Draco felt the corners of his lip turn up at that. "Of course, she didn't. It's actually not a punishable crime. Socially unacceptable, yes. Punishable by law, no."

"That...that's not right. That's not fair! Anyone could take advantage of you!"

It was an amazing sight to see Granger indignant on his behalf.

"True, but it's biology. Therefore, not a crime. I do accept your apology," Draco said. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I may have overreact—"

"No!" Granger shouted, holding up her hands. "No! You didn't overreact at all! I can't _believe_ I'd forgotten all about the Omega mark and what it did to Omegas. What it would do to you if I touched it! I'm...I'm horrified that I did this to you," Granger said. Her tears had finally spilled over onto her cheeks and glistened against her skin.

"Please don't cry, Granger. I don't think I could handle that," Draco muttered quietly.

"Sorry," Granger said quickly and scrubbed at her eyes with her hands. "Sorry, of course. You don't need to comfort me. Nor should you. This whole thing is just so ridiculous. Why aren't there any courses on this? They could at least prepare us all better."

Draco snorted. "I find myself asking the same question. I just wish I knew more about being an Omega. There are hardly even any books written on the subject, at least ones that I could find."

"I—let me know if this is totally inappropriate," Granger said, "but I'd really like to see your Omega mark?"

Draco stiffened and took a small step backward. The last thing he needed was her to put him into some sort of semi-catatonic Omega state again.

"I won't touch it!" Granger quickly went on. "I've just not seen one. I'm curious. And like I said, it's fine to say no."

"Ah, no, it's alright," Draco muttered. He turned and tugged down the collar of his shirt to show her. He felt Granger step closer and when her breath brushed across his Omega mark he shivered.

"Thanks," she said quietly. Draco turned back to face her, and she was chewing heavily on her lip, looking like she had something else to say. "This might also be stupid, but maybe we could try to learn together?"

"What do you mean?" Draco asked crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well, you don't understand about being an Omega and what it means, although you seem to be much better at controlling your hormones and your reaction to mine. I feel like I'm in the same boat as an Alpha. Maybe we should learn together. That is, if you're interested."

"I—"

"We can take things slow and learn as we go. Decide what works best for both of us. And once we have better control, then we can go our separate ways. We already live together, so it's not like we'd be spending that much more time together," Granger rushed on with a small shrug.

Draco frowned at her. It wasn't a terrible idea, and what harm could it do, really?

"We'd have to be really good at communication," Draco said.

Granger nodded. "Oh, absolutely. I think that maybe we should have a living contract. One where we add to it as we find limits for each other. That way it will be all written out and agreed to."

Draco snorted. "Of course, you've thought about this."

Granger blushed and looked away. "I just don't want to cause you any pain. I feel awful for taking away your consent. I definitely feel like I should be punished for it, and it kind of kills me that I won't ever be. It's just barbaric that the wizarding world chalks it up to biology."

Draco mulled over her words for a long moment, before nodding slightly. "Alright. Let's give it a try."

"Really?" Granger asked. The look in her eyes was so hopeful that Draco found himself smirking back at her.

"Yes, really."

"Excellent, well, here's a draft contract I've drawn up," she said as she whirled around to dig in her school bag. Draco couldn't help but laugh at that.

* * *

_Hermione_

There were a lot of growing pains over the last few months of the school year. The original document Hermione had drawn up had been written on and bits crossed out and re-added or adjusted so many times that it was practically in tatters. It hung right on the wall next to the fireplace, where they could both see it. But still, it had been immensely helpful for both Hermione and Draco. Hermione could now completely control her Alpha hormones and instincts. Even around Ron, she had no issues. Draco was the same and yet, they couldn't quite stop the physical aspects of their relationship.

Months of physical intimacy seemed to have bred actual intimacy and Hermione found that she was quite in love with Draco. Not that she'd told him that. They had promised to go their separate ways after seventh year, so Hermione didn't have much of a plan to admit her feelings, despite their promise of absolute communication and brutal honesty that they had included in the contract.

What she could do, was go out with a bang. So while Draco was finishing up his Divination NEWT, Hermione had taken the time to set up a truly spectacular end of year bash in their private dorm. It mostly consisted of picnic foods she had begged off of the elves, a bottle of wine she'd bought the last Hogsmeade weekend, and a new set of lingerie she had bought last month that she thought Draco would like. She had candles lit everywhere, the large chandelier she left unlit as it cast too much light about the common room. She'd pushed the furniture to the side, and despite it being late June, she had a small fire going in the fireplace and blankets and pillows piled up on the floor in a truly decadent bed. She'd even charmed the floor softer. The only thing she couldn't decide was if she should be lounging on her makeshift bed when Draco arrived or if she should be hiding in her bedroom? It all felt a little awkward, despite all they'd done in the last few months.

In the end, the decision was taken out of her hands when Draco arrived while she was kneeling down, fluffing some pillows. He stopped short in the doorway, taking in the scene before him with a slow smile.

"This for me?" he asked, eyeing the short, emerald green robe she had tied over her negligee.

Hermione snorted and rolled her eyes. "No, it's for the other person I've been sleeping with for months. Of course, it's for you." She stood quickly and crossed the room. She grabbed his bag from his hands and dropped it to the floor before she began untying his tie.

"You look nice," he murmured, one hand settling on her hip, squeezing her and the other skimming along her back. She hummed and lifted his jumper up, he helped take it off and once he was down to just his trousers and button-up, with several of the buttons undone, she led him to the bed in front of the fireplace.

"Oh," he hummed as he stepped onto the area she'd softened. "Well, consider me romanced, Granger."

"I'm not done yet," Hermione said. She gave him a little push and he collapsed back into the pillows. She quickly straddled his lap and summoned the tray of food and drinks that were sitting on the coffee table. Setting a levitation charm on the tray, she began by feeding him a grape.

"Well, I certainly could get used to this," Draco said as he clasped his hands behind his head.

"I bet you could," Hermione could barely hold back a smirk as she popped a grape into her own mouth. She licked her lips and couldn't help but notice that Draco followed the movement of her tongue. "See something you like?"

"You know I do," Draco murmured. He moved one hand from behind his head and let it rest on her thigh, brushing circles against her skin. Hermione bit her lip and looked up at him coyly before slowly untying her robe.

Draco's eyes both widened and darkened as she took off her robe and he could see the design of the lingerie. It was both ridiculously cliche, Slytherin green with a snake motif, but totally worth it to see that look on his face.

"Sweet Salazar, Hermione," he breathed. He knocked the tray of food to the side as he sat up quickly and pressed his lips to hers. Hermione happily returned the kiss, running her hands through his hair, being very careful not to touch his Omega mark.

"Need you," Hermione grunted, punctuating her words with a roll of her hips.

"Always need you," Draco replied as his lips left hers and he kissed his way down her jaw toward her throat. "Going to fuck you with this on," Draco said as he reached to pull one of her breasts from the bra cup. "Then I'm going to rip it off of you and fuck you without it."

"Mmm, someone has lots of plans for the evening," Hermione gasped as his mouth found a nipple and closed around it.

"Evening? Granger, you must be insane if you think I'm only going to be through with you in an evening."

Hermione stiffened and pulled away from him. She placed a hand on either side of his face and lifted it so she could look him in the eye. "What are you saying?" she whispered.

The look of complete love and trust on his face took her breath away. "Did you think I was going to be able to give you up after all of this?" Draco asked softly.

"I...I didn't know…" Hermione trailed off as Draco's eyes crinkled and he laughed.

"Granger, I don't want to scare you away, but I'm pretty sure you're it for me. I don't think I'm going to ever get sick of you and certainly not in the next hundred and fifty years or so."

Hermione couldn't quite believe that this conversation was taking place, or that he was so confident in his feelings.

"Oh, Merlin. Tell me you feel the same way." He suddenly looked a little nauseous and Hermione realized she had just been sitting there on his lap, not saying anything, with her mouth hanging open. She snapped her mouth shut.

"Granger…"

"I feel the same," she said in a rush. She reached back out to cup his face in her hands. "Merlin, I've been trying to figure out a way to either tell you that I love you or get over the fact that this was all going to end."

Draco's arms tightened around her. "_This_ is not ending," he insisted. "Tell me again."

"I love you," Hermione said with a smile. She closed the distance between their faces, rubbing her nose along his. "I love you."

"I love you," Draco gasped as she finally pressed her lips to his. It was the sweetest thing he could have said and soon Hermione was lost to the sensation of being in his arms once more.

_**~Fin~**_


End file.
